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See if your hiding spot is likely to be discovered

• Many of the most popular holiday gift hiding spots like closets and under beds are also the most likely to be discovered.

• Smart decoys and disguises can make even obvious hiding places far more effective at keeping surprises secret.

• A new Holiday Gift Hiding Spot Risk Calculator helps parents gauge how likely their chosen hiding spot is to be found before the big day.

The holidays should be full of joy and surprise not the panic of a premature gift discovery!

But ask any parent, and youll hear stories of curious kids who will start digging around long before Christmas morning. In fact, nearly half of parents report that their child has found a hidden present early, and more than a quarter have had to re-wrap or re-hide gifts because the first spot didnt hold up.

So what spots work best? Lets break it down.

How the findings were gathered

To understand which gift hiding spots work best and which ones fail Alans Factory Outlet surveyed over 1,000 parents across the U.S. about their holiday habits.

Respondents were asked where they typically hide gifts, whether their children have ever found them early, and what steps theyve taken to keep surprises under wraps.

The survey also explored creative tactics parents use to disguise presents, from decoy boxes to locking storage areas. By comparing how often different hiding spots were discovered, the company was able to identify which locations carry the most risk and which are more likely to stay secret through the holidays.

Top hiding spots (and how risky they are)

Some places are classics for a reason but familiarity makes them predictable.

• Closets especially bedroom closets remain the most common choice, with nearly three-quarters of parents using them to stash gifts.

• Attics and basements are great for larger items since kids are less likely to venture there.

• Under the bed can work if you disguise the gift in a storage container or cover it with other items.

• Garage shelves and trunks of cars are popular for bulky gifts when you can keep them out of sight.

• Locked drawers or off-limits rooms add a layer of security especially with older kids.

But beware: the more often a place gets checked, the less hidden your present really is.

Creative decoys that work

Good hiding isnt just where you hide its what you pretend it is:

• Empty boxes labeled something boring (think old manuals or charity donations).

• Nesting gifts put the real present inside another innocuous box.

• Travel bags or suitcases tucked away on a high shelf.

• Disguised in plain sight like on a bookshelf among everyday items.

• Old appliance boxes or mislabeled bins no one bothers to open.

Parents have even taken things further by adding locks or cameras around secret stashes especially for high-value items.

Whether youre a seasoned hide-and-seek champion or trying to stay one step ahead of your youngster, these tips can help make this holiday season's surprises truly surprising.

What advertisers hoped you wouldnt notice

• 2025s worst ads looked legit but the fine print was the scam: as low as, hidden subscriptions, tiny guarantees

• Credibility bait was everywhere: Made in USA, clinically proven, or charging features that didnt fully match reality

• New playbook: AI fake endorsements + fear-based safety claimsso quick-check the claim + FTC/complaint, verify the spokesperson, and read the return window

If 2025 taught shoppers anything, its that the sketchiest ads arent always obvious . A lot of them look polished, emotional, and too legit to question, right up until you read the fine print (or realize the fine print was the whole trick).

Truth in Advertising (TINA.org) flagged a lineup of the years worst offenders and the patterns are worth memorizing to protect yourself in the future.

A few 2025 examples that hit consumers hardest

Subscription trap marketing

Homeaglow touted a $19 house cleaning but TINA discovered that when you sign-up for the cheap initial cleaning, you get put into an auto-renewing monthly membership.

This is not uncommon, but this membership comes with monthly fees (that dont cover actual cleanings) and an early termination fee thats hard to spot during checkout.

Made in USA vibes with imported parts

Renewal by Andersen created ads for their windows and doors that leaned heavy on the custom built in the USAclaim.

The truth is that their windows and doors contain imported parts. According to the FTC, the Made or Built in the USA claim is only accurate if there is no foreign content in the products at all.

Feature implied, but not included

Nobl promoted their carry-on luggage with charging capabilities for your wireless devices.

But TINA discovered that you still need to supply your own power bank, it only comes with a phone port. The luggage does not contain any power source like their ad implies.

Clinically proven health claims that didnt hold up

NuBest promoted height-growth claims from their dietary supplement.

But when TINA dug into their cited study, they described the results as inconclusive.

AI deepfake endorsement

A Memory Defender video used AI created audio and visuals to make it look like Meryl Streep and Dr. Sanjay Gupta endorsed a natural remedy that helps your memory.

Gupta publicly called it an AI Generated Fake and a total scam.

Marketing safety while targeting fear

Bulletproof school supplies (backpacks, laptop bags, clipboards, etc.) from a company called Hardwire, claimed via their marketing messages that their bag inserts were bulletproof.

While their claims can sound reassuring, the truth according to TINA is that most of their school supplies do not protect from rifles and none protect against all bullets.

How to not get played in 30 seconds

Treat starting at and as low as as a warning label. Get in the habit of always assuming theres a condition (subscription or minimum spend) until proven otherwise.

Search the exact claim + the word FTC or complaint. If an ad is dancing around a regulated phrase like Made in USA or clinically proven, theres a good someone noticed and the company is now trying to skirt the topic while keeping the claim.

For video ads, do one fast credibility check: If a you find an ad with a celebrity or doctor endorsement and it feels shocking or makes you think, why havent I heard this? pause and look for a real source outside the ad.

Unfortunately, AI fakery is now part of the playbook and you have to do your own due diligence if something feels off.

Before you buy, find the return window in the policy. Dont just trust a big homepage headline guarantee.

Unfortunately, those big, friendly guarantees can often shrink once you hit the actual rules and checkout page.

Smart ways to return, resell, or swap unwanted holiday presents

• Unwanted gifts and gift cards dont have to go to waste with the right timing and strategy, you can return, resell, exchange, or even donate them.

• Understanding return policies is key missing deadlines, removing tags, or accepting final-sale items can limit your options and cost you money.

• Gift cards are easiest to deal with when you act quickly selling, swapping, or repurposing them early helps preserve their value and avoids letting them sit unused.

The holidays are full of good intentions but lets be honest, not every gift hits the mark.

Maybe its the sweater thats not quite your style, a gadget you already own, or a gift card to a store you never shop at. Whatever the case, unwanted gifts are far more common than most people like to admit.

The good news? Youre not stuck with them.

Between extended holiday return windows, resale platforms, and creative ways to exchange or reuse gift cards, there are plenty of options to turn an awkward present into something youll actually use. The tricky part is knowing where to start and what pitfalls to avoid especially as retailers tighten return policies or attach fine print to gift cards.

To help consumers navigate the post-holiday gift shuffle, ConsumerAffairs spoke with Bobby Ghoshal, CEO of Dupe.com, an AI-powered shopping platform designed to help shoppers find similar items at better prices. Ghoshal shared insights on how to handle returns smoothly, why gift cards often go unused, and how smarter shopping tools can reduce the chances of needing a return in the first place.

The best and worst ways to offload unwanted gift cards

If you end up with a gift card to a store you never shop at, it can feel disappointing. But it doesnt have to!

The best way to offload an unwanted gift card is to sell it or exchange it on a reliable platform like Gift Card Granny or Raise, Ghoshalrecommends. Just know that you will not receive the full value of each card as the site does take commission. The more popular the store, the higher the value of the card.

If you received a gift card to a supermarket or store that sells gift cards like Walmart or Target, you can also buy another gift card through those sellers for a store youre more inclined to shop at. This will help you retain the full value of the gift card.

A final tip: donate unused or unwanted gift cards to teachers for school supplies or charities of your choice.

On the other hand, the worst thing you can do with an unwanted gift card is forget it exists.

Its estimated that Americans hold billions in unused gift cards, which is pretty insane if you think about it, Ghoshal said. Yes, it may be a hassle to sell or use them, but at least share it with someone who will.

Things to think about before you return

If you end up with a gift you want to return, it may not be as easy or straightforward as you think to bring it back to the store and get something you want. Ghoshal shared some of the biggest pitfalls consumers often face when it comes time to return:

• You missed the deadline for return. Its crucial to understand each retailers return policies. Yes, a gift receipt is great to have, but many gift-givers dont share those with their recipients. In order, to have a successful return, make sure youre acquainted with the retailers policies and that you return the item by deadline. Oftentimes, you will simply get a gift card for an item with no receipt, but the key is to ensure youre getting the highest value for the item. If you procrastinate and your item goes on sale, the store will only give you the value of the item at its current rate.

• You opened the box / removed the tag. If youre not certain that youre going to keep your gift, do not unbox it or remove any tags. There are certain items that absolutely cannot be returned or exchanged without these intact. They also may deduct a percentage of the value of the item if the box has been tampered with. If you want the full refund, and an easy return, dont be impulsive when ripping your gifts open.

• You received a final sale item. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do if the item you received was purchased through a final sale. If thats the case, regifting or reselling makes the most sense. I would suggest to gift-givers that they avoid purchasing these items as gifts just in case your recipient doesnt fall head over heels for the items you selected.

Common gift-giving mistakes to avoid

Ghoshal said that the two most common gift-giving mistakes we often make are: getting the wrong size and getting something the gift recipient doesnt actually want. If you keep both of these in mind, youre less likely to unintentionally give someone a return mishap after the holidays.

If you dont know your recipients exact sizing and overall preferences, I highly recommend a gift card to their favorite retailer, Ghoshal said. Sure, some think its impersonal, but you can never miss if you know them.

The growth of data centers is just one reason

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. residential electricity prices are expected to keep climbing in 2026, averaging about 18.02/kWh, up from 17.29/kWh in 2025, according to the latest U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast.

• Demand is rising fastest where data centers and other large loads are clustering (notably ERCOT/Texas and PJM), tightening regional power markets and nudging bills higher.

• The biggest pressure on bills isnt just fuelits the grid. Utilities are pouring money into transmission, reliability, and storm/fire hardening, costs that often flow through to customers over time.

After two years of inflationary increases, U.S. households should brace for another step up in electricity prices in 2026though the pain will vary widely by region.

The U.S. Energy Information Administrations December 2025 Short-Term Energy Outlook pegs the average U.S. residential price at 18.02 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2026, up from 17.29 cents in 2025.

In higher-cost areas, the forecast shows prices staying elevated and rising further: New England averages about 30.01/kWh in 2026 (vs. 28.97 in 2025), while the Pacific region averages 24.88 (vs. 24.40).

Thats the headline: rates are rising again. The more important story is why.

Supply and demand

A surge in big electricity users is colliding with a grid built for a different era. For most of the 2010s, U.S. power demand was relatively flat. Thats changing quickly.

EIA says power-sector generation growth in 20252026 is being driven primarily by increasing demand from large customers, including data centers, concentrated in regions run by ERCOT and PJM.

In PJM, the data-center boom is no longer an abstract trend lineits reshaping market rules and reliability planning. In December, Reuters reported federal regulators pushing PJM to clarify how very large loads, including AI-driven data centers, connect to the grid, amid concerns about reliability and rising costs.

Fuel costs can still move bills

Even as renewables grow, natural gas often sets the marginal price of electricity in many markets. EIAs latest outlook has Henry Hub natural gas averaging about $4.01/MMBtu in 2026, higher than $3.56 in 2025.

Fuel isnt the whole billdelivery charges matter a lotbut gas-price swings can lift wholesale power prices, and those increases can filter into retail rates depending on how utilities and regulators structure fuel and purchased-power pass-throughs.

The grid buildout shows up in your monthly statement

The fastest-growing slice of many power bills is the wires side: transmission and distribution spending, plus resilience work to keep the lights on during more frequent extreme weather.

A recent FERC winter reliability assessment noted thousands of new transmission projects and pointed to storm and fire hardening and system reliability as the biggest drivers of projected transmission line mileage.

At the same time, FERCs transmission planning and cost-allocation rule (Order No. 1920) is designed to push more long-term regional transmission planningimportant for reliability and new generation, but also a reminder that big builds come with big price tags that must be allocated and paid.

What it means for households in 2026

The national forecast implies another year of upward pressure, not a sudden spike everywhere. But the regional spread is the tell: places already paying morelike New England and the Pacificare projected to remain high, while fast-growth regions facing large-load connections and reliability upgrades could see added upward pressure even if their starting point is lower.

For consumers, the drivers to watch in 2026 wont just be fuel headlines. Theyll be local rate cases, grid upgrade riders, storm-hardening plans, and where the next wave of data centers landsbecause increasingly, the bill is about paying for a more crowded, more complicated, and more resilient electric system.